A rare inscribed 'Xing' bowl, Tang dynasty | 唐 邢窰白釉盌

The present bowl is rare on account of the incised character 'guan' to the base. In 2003, numerous shards of white-glazed bowls with the 'guan' character inscribed to the base were excavated at the old Xing kiln site in Hebei province. Lü Chenglong in Dingyaoyaji gugongbowuyuan zhencang ji chutu dingyao ciqi huicui / Selection of Ding Ware. The Palace Museum's Collection and Archaeological Excavation, Beijing, 2012, p. 13, suggests that almost all white porcelains bearing the 'guan' mark are products of the 'Ding' kilns, with the notable exception of a small group made at the 'Xing' kilns, such as the present bowl, and that the 'guan' mark is an indication of higher quality. Fan Dongqing in 'Early Ding Wares in the Shanghai Museum', Orientations, February 1991, p. 52, further notes that wares inscribed with the character is associated with the imperial court, high officials and noble families, and were produced to the highest standards.